NEW DELHI: Samsung sold more phones than Apple in the premium category of Rs 30,000 and above in 2015-16, the surge coming at a time when the American electronics giant looks at a greater play in the country amidt a global crunch.

According to data compiled by CounterPoint Technology, Samsung's share in the premium end of the phone market in India stood at 47% in 2015-16, while Apple finished the year at 45%. The growth of the Korean giant has been fuelled by S6 Edge and Note 5 smart devices, which had also seen a price cut towards the beginning of this year.

Samsung trailed Apple in 2014-15 with 35% share, while Apple had 43%. A questionnaire sent to Apple on the subject remained unanswered. Samsung also did not respond to questions.

Industry analysts said Apple and Samsung have been engaged in a fight of supremacy in the premium market, but Samsung has taken an 'edge' recently. "The Edge series has been going strong for Samsung and has helped the company regain share in the premium segment," said Tarun Pathak, a research analyst at CounterPoint. "The worrying part for Apple is that its new 'SE' device has been disappointing in India over its high pricing. The company is expected to see a spike only when it launches iPhone 7," Pathak added.

Numbers provided by retail market tracker GfK for March 2016 and March 2015 also show Apple is behind Samsung. While in March this year, Samsung leads with a volume share of 56% and value share of 55.7%, Apple lags with a volume share of 37.9% and value share of 39.5%. The iPhone maker was leading in both categories in March 2015, GfK numbers show.

"While Samsung and Apple fight each other, others such as HTC and Sony have also been losing ground," Pathak added.

Jio’s Rs 2,399 annual plan offers 2GB per day data that costs effectively Rs 200 per month. It also offers unlimited voice and SMS. Airtel and Vodafone Idea’s Rs 2398 and Rs 2399 annual plans, on the other hand, offer 1.5GB per day data along with unlimited voice and SMS